I can understand the importance of lighting the beach at night in such a high profile holiday destination such as Surfers Paradise. People choose to come here because of the famous beach so why leave the beach solely for daylight activities? The sand is just as soft white and clean at night as it is during the day. But what is also equally important is the connection between the beach and the commercial precinct. The space where you cross the road from the hotels you're staying in and make your way along the foreshore boardwalk. The problem is walking along the boardwalk at night is unbearable due to the glare from the flat panel LEDs . These panels are asked to light everything from the curbside to the high water line. I can understand the cost is the driving factor here (we already have poles here so let's just use them), but surely a compromise could be made. Floodlight the beach by all means but the boardwalk and the plants & shrubs and landscaping bordering it should defined differently. By separating the different spaces with light you define the space and its use. As film and TV lighting designer you soon learn that it's important to use different light sources for different scenes within the same overall scenario, for example if you want to light a portrait of someone sitting in a chair and light the wall that the chair rests against as well you might be tempted to think that one light can do both things, but if you want the wall to have texture or relief you need to have the light source oblique from the point of view of the viewers, but then the subject in the chair would be subject to harsh shadowing, the answer is to light the two planes separately. The same process can be applied to landscape lighting. Define the dominant point of view, isolate the interesting elements with light, (or shadow) and create a tableau. Viewers will be enchanted.
05.06.2014
Vivid Light 2013 Sydney
Jeff Koons puppy reborn as a lit bunny on Dawes Point, Sydney
Vivid enjoyed another great year in Sydney. Even better was the late autumn weather. Crowds exceeded last years record numbers. Again the projections were the crowd pullers. Its great that the vivid organisers have developed different streams for the applicants, as event projections are completely different from architecural lighting and light sculptures.
Entry to Cambell Cove, behind OPT sydney
Ready to serve
15.10.2013
Heliostats on Broadway
Exciting new architecture project being built in the City south
The eastern tower features a passive solar design (a heliostat installation) extending from the upper levels on a monumental cantilever. The heliostat incorporates an innovative system of fixed and motorized mirrored panels designed to capture sunlight and redirect it into the retail atrium and onto the landscaped terraces. At night the heliostat’s integrated lighting will display video interpretations of Sydney landscapes.
reF: http://kennovations.com.au/architectural-solutions/architectural-heliostats/one-central-park-architectural-heliostats-light-reflectors/
Although I'm a little concerned how they would work. As the mirrors are positioned horizontal Otto the ground , How does sunlight fall upon them? Are those mirrors on the smaller tower and will they reflect light back up into the mirrors above them ? That would produce too much glare for the residences located below the heliostats. Are the heliostats mounted onto a large arm that will raise them up to vertical? Cant wait to find out? Come back later for more info...
Aerial view of Pt Kembla shipping facilities
Photo illustrates the cars parked on east west axis
Photo illustrates the close proximity of other cars and the glare of early morning sun impairing drivers vision
The recent events in detroit saddened me. Although Never having visited the city, it's influence on my cultural upbring was still enormous Detroit destiny - Mobile 1
The paparazzi ready themselves
Entrance/ Exit to the catwalk
It was amazing to see the space we lit filled with people enjoying the 
ambience we helped create.
25.03.2013
Anish Kapoor @ MCA
Finally had the opportunity to Visit the Anish Kapoor Show at the MCA, the last days posters were up so I knew I had to make it and of course, I wasn't disappointed. As a lighting designer the way we see is a cornerstone to the way we approach lighting design. Kapoor intrigues you with his investigations into our optic system, repeatedly confusing your eye/brain link. The viewer constantly asking themselves, (often unconsciously) "how is it so?"
The convex coloured discs reflect back the clean gallery walls & floor. Your eyes/brain struggle to find an edge. Edges give meaning and perspective to your world. Without edges you see nothing you can't comprehend anything. So you see the reflections of the walls and floor as a flat mirror, an additional plane to the curved artwork, when you know there is in fact none. Your brain tries so hard to make sense if it that you even believe you can even see the shadow the imagined internal disc creates. (See image)
Your brain is having so much difficulty in trying to recognise or process what
you're seeing you suffer a sense of "mal de mer" or nausea. Again &
again you have to move around to the side of the artwork to check
to see if it is mounted flush to the wall or as your eyes/brain would have it off the wall.
Although fascinating and enjoyable I had the slightly unnerving feeling that is somehow akin to a carny sideshow or magician's act. Where its too clever by half 
But its impossible to ignore how Kapoor can connect with a wide ranging audience. And good luck to him. 4 out of 5 light globes
12.03.2013
Magic light Garden at Centennial Park
The tin Lids perform "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the crowds at Centennial Park